Sail French Polynesia with Paul Gauguin Cruises
I hold large cruise ships in a certain amount of disdain -- floating shopping malls, the all-inclusive resorts of the sea, which seem to me to feature at their heart everything I dislike about vacation activities, the forced gaiety fueled by buckets of alcohol, the faux celebrity of being stalked by cruise photographer and videographer, food more about quantity than quality, casinos.
On these pages, I have speculated that I would likely enjoy myself more on a smaller ship and so I put it to the test a few weeks ago, joining a sailing of the m/s Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia. I found ever so much more pleasant, so much so that I would even go out of my way to repeat the experience. The ship has a maximum capacity of 332 passengers, and one crew member for every 1.5 guests. I'll refrain from a joke about the half-guests, and instead more usefully say that while I was thoughtfully catered to, I never felt hassled, as is possible when there's a profusion of help available. I also found an amazing amount of solitude on the ship's public areas, which I think is absolutely necessary for proper contemplation of French Polynesia, for example, the mountains of Moorea, which were once worshiped by the ancient Tahitians, and seem to be worth the worship.
I also had the agreeable sense that the ship was miniaturized from a larger cruise vessel -- there were three restaurants aboard, although smaller, there was a bar with a teeny tiny dance floor and even the embarrass yourself -- karaoke night provided the opportunity -- and even a small, easily-avoided casino for people that require that.
I think this ship is aimed at an older demographic although I am at the precise mid-point of my 30s, I do consider myself prematurely old, and so enjoyed the Elderhostel-esque programming, a top-notch anthropologist provided fascinating lectures and also the opportunity for a hike in Moorea, nightly entertainment to be taken or left as you prefer, a small boutique that had all the essentials, including kamani oil, a local treatment for sunburn which I really needed after a snorkel with the sharks and stingrays excursion that despite the burn ranks among my favorite experiences ever. The only part of the ship that I found dissatisfying was the fitness center, which could use better ventilation -- although I don't really mind getting a good look at the lifeboats while I'm running on the treadmill.
Paul Gauguin was until recently owned by Regent Seven Seas Cruises and is now owned by Pacific Beachcomber, the largest luxury hotel and cruise operator in the country, and the same group that owns InterContinentals throughout French Polynesia. In fact, I was on the first sail under the new management.
I asked a couple of people who'd sailed under Regent, and they said that the difference in the on-board experience is negligible, the primary differences seemingly will come in an upgrade in shore excursions (aided by the management's knowledge of the area), and in packages with the InterContinental properties, which are superlative. You can already create your own package, joining a Paul Gauguin cruise at some point in its journey and staying on land at a property. I did this myself, joining a 10 day cruise halfway in, after a stay in Bora Bora. There are 38 cruises planned for 2010.
Aboard ship, the cabin was spacious, nearly 70% have private balconies which is very much welcome for the waters of French Polynesia, which have obligingly spectacular cruise-ins and sail outs to is various islands, timed so that you can awaken to pull into Taha'a, the vanilla island, with its green rumpled hills just coming to life with roosters and dogs barking and smoke rising from corrugated tin roofs, or so that you can enjoy cocktails (or maybe an invitation to join the captain on the bridge for caviar and champagne) during sail-aways.
Aboard ship, the cabin was spacious, nearly 70% have private balconies which is very much welcome for the waters of French Polynesia, which have obligingly spectacular cruise-ins and sail outs to is various islands, timed so that you can awaken to pull into Taha'a, the vanilla island, with its green rumpled hills just coming to life with roosters and dogs barking and smoke rising from corrugated tin roofs, or so that you can enjoy cocktails (or maybe an invitation to join the captain on the bridge for caviar and champagne) during sail-aways.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
William Feb 15th 2010 1:29PM
How much was the cruise?
Alison Wellner Feb 15th 2010 5:27PM
The prices vary, but you can find a list of upcoming cruises and their cost here: http://www.pgcruises.com/
ednyou Feb 16th 2010 7:46AM
After reading the first paragraph of your article, I get the impression that snobs, like yourself, clearly must look down their noses at low rent cruisers like my wife and I. I guess it's a pity that people like us, that worked hard all of their lives and for the first time ever treat ourselves to a NCL cruise, aren't as enlightened as you.
Patricia Feb 16th 2010 12:49PM
AMEN!!! One doesn't have to drink to have a "good" time. Apparently this jerk never heard of the words " no thank you" to the photographers or the waiters for the abundance of food. I have never been bothered by anyone & have always enjoyed our cruises.
al78eunice Feb 16th 2010 8:36AM
I sailed on this ship which is beautiful and small. I found that people came in groups and stayed in their groups and it was hard to make friends. It is annoying to try to join a couple at a table only to hear that they are saving it for their friends.
I prefer a larger ship since you can meet a lot of couples who are not traveling in groups. A trend that I have seen since we have been cruising in 1995 is that two couples traveling together stay together the whole time and don't separate to meet new people.
dww348 Feb 16th 2010 8:47AM
Excellent comment EDNYOU - but let me expand a bit.
I have had a very nice time on several cruises that Ms Wellner feels are for the culturally "great unwashed". Glad I'm not married to her - we enjoyed our affordable vacations and I semi-retired at 56 because my wife was not a b---h about using every penny we had for the trendiest house, car or vacation. Have a nice life lady - its people like you who have led this country into the financial mess its in today.
Dan Daily Feb 16th 2010 8:57AM
I took a cruise on the Holland America Westerdam and I felt very much what you're talking about. At about 1,000 feet long, the Westerdam hold 1,900 people. NOT the 6,000 plus that Royal Carribean stuffs in the same size ship. The only time you actually realize there are even 1,900 on board, is when you all have to clear customs.
A very nice experience indeed.
vhgolfer36 Feb 16th 2010 10:57AM
My wife and I agree. The Holland American Line is great. We've taken numerous cruises and appreciate the smaller ship. The larger ships are nothing more than cities on water and the food is like a Reno casino buffett. A cruise is what a person/couple choose to make it. I was fortunate to be selected to serve as Mr. Noordam. If your active and participant you can make many new friends. We still communicate with folks we've met on past cruises. Give us a smaller ship anytime.
tnbbccj Feb 16th 2010 9:43AM
Paul,
Try a canoe!
sbjpt Feb 16th 2010 9:43AM
As a retired editor I can tell you there is a terrible "hole" in this story. The writer makes no effort to provide any pricing information. I am guessing he works for the cruise line or was paid by the cruise line. No integrity whatsoever.
Alison Wellner Feb 16th 2010 9:54AM
EDNYOU: No, not at all. I hope that you and your wife enjoy many happy vacations together in whatever manner that you choose. (DWW348: isn't that really the American way? Kudos on bringing politics into this, although I'll point out that the phrase "great unwashed" is yours and yours alone. For that and other reasons I'm sure glad I'm not married to you too.); AL78EUNICE: I found that the people on the cruise were friendly enough, at least on the excursions, but I would agree with you that it seemed the goal of my shipmates was not to meet people or make new friends, a larger ship with more people would seem to present better odds for that; Dan Daily: your Holland American cruise sounds lovely, I will have to try that mid-sized option at some point;
Alison Wellner Feb 16th 2010 9:58AM
SBJT: I rarely include pricing information in my travel coverage because it varies so much; I always provide a link which would enable you or anyone to learn that price. As for your guesses, I'm afraid it's three strikes: I'm not a "he", not a cruise line employee, not paid by the cruise line.
tonyvaninetti Mar 12th 2010 6:57PM
In 2008 I cruised in French Polynesia (FP) for 10 days on a Princess ship the Tahitian Princess. It was a probably at least 2X the size of the Paul Gauguin. A cruise in that part of the world is the best way to go as hotel accommodations are eyeopeners. So see this beautiful place from aboard ship if you have always dreamed to experience the lure of far away tropical islands like Bora Bora and Moorea. It is worth saving up for as the islands are all the legendary beauty that the movies have made them out be be. I enjoyed on board lectures about the Polynesian culture and took bus ride tours on land. I hiked in the jungle too. And yes I bought myself a black pearl. The FP people were nice and the swimming, especially with the big friendly stingrays, was truly memorable. I enjoyed the smaller ship and will never forget this special cruise. Note: If you do not want to go by cruise ship there may still be Windjammer Sail Ship voyages available.
William Snidle Feb 16th 2010 10:40AM
My wife and I sailed on the Paul Gauguin on what I believe was its last voyage as a Regent ship. We have sailed various cruise lines from top to bottom of price. The Paul Gaugin was toward the top but like most lines they were offering significant discounts. The inclusion of top brand bar drinks and a very nice wine list without extra charges was wonderful. I did not notice people taking advantage. In fact, I found the majority of passengers open to meeting new people. Unfortunately, the French were in abundance and try as I might I cannot seem to get them to tolerate my existence. C'est la vie!! We had stayed in a Sofitel on Tahiti prior to the trip. The hotel was horrible. I would love to try the Intercontinental next door. Hopefully that will now be a part of the package. I hope we are not snobs because we enjoyed this ship. I found the price comparable to a mid to upper category on the other lines and the intimate atmosphere of the ship to be worth the little extra.
Nick Feb 16th 2010 11:19AM
dont knock rccl there great when i booked my people on princess they did not lower their their price when i booked a couple 3 weeks later needless to say the friend felt guilty so he didnt want to offend his friend who paid $400 extra.
he cancelled i put him on a ship that coinsided with his friends ports of course rccl.
rccl will extend the lower rate even if you paid in full they put on board credit for you account. and if you like fun rccl is alive and their premium brand celebrity cruises is just as good as the high price of smaller vessels. bigger is better for meeting friends who want to party......by the way the french dont party.
kholl1957 Feb 16th 2010 12:19PM
From most of these comments, including the author of the article, I can only guess that none of you graduated from high school. Your grammar, spelling and punctuation are not only appalling, but make it hard for me to understand the points you are trying to make. It also makes me wonder how you make your way in the world, sounding like idiots! You all sound like snobs, no matter which side of the issue you place yourselves!
gjandy Feb 16th 2010 12:55PM
Excellent point and my sentiments exactly. In fact, I would venture to guess that they did not graduate the Fifth Grade given the poor grammer!! Leads me to ask the question......Are THEY smarter than a Fifth Grader?
Charlie Feb 16th 2010 12:13PM
We recently sailed on the Paul Gauguin Nov. 7th sailing, Papeete to Lautoka, Fiji. We had previously been on 4 other cruises with Celebrity and wanted to try the smaller ship experience. One thing that was enjoyable, none of that Tuxedo crap; everything was Country Club Casual (most enjoyable, no big fashion show), very relaxing. I definitely feel there was decent value with this cruise, wine and drinks included along with tip included make this cruise a comparable value. Here’s a good link for discount travel, http://www.vantagetravel.com/. We were told by staff during the cruise that the change in ownership will reflect little or no change; the same contract crew members and staff will be working this ship as before. I think the prevailing motto with the new ownership is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” exits here! We really enjoyed the cruise, found people were easy to talk to and socialize with, and the crew and staff were excellent. Bottom line, you should try it once. It’s an experience of unspoiled beauty, nature’s jewelry for the eyes. We’re returning for the Society Islands, Marquesas, And Tuamotus cruise, this year. We will also do another larger ship cruise in the future, we don’t seem to have any difficulty with large or small ship cruises, “it’s really the cruise itinerary that makes the experience for us.”
David Feb 17th 2010 2:21AM
I followed the banner (or whatever they are called) that AOL had on the welcome page and came to this page. After more than 30 years of marriage, we are getting ready to take our first cruise and I want it to be memorable so I thought I’d look at all the options. I do not understand why people are taking jabs at Ms. Wellner; she is doing what she does. Her blog is about luxury travel. Like it or not, there are people out there that have discretionary income to spend on extravagances ranging from simply self indulgent all the way to embarrassingly obscene. Her blog is hosted by (I assume) “luxist”. In case you didn’t notice, there were buttons to click for topics such as Estates, Watches, Handbags, Celebrity Shopping, etc. The site caters to the financially well off and those who feed on that type of lifestyle. I’m willing to bet that the same people who are angry about this post are the same ones who are glued to “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” or some other reality garbage. If you really want to ventilate, let AOL know how you feel; they are the ones who felt the banner was relevant to the lives of their subscribers in general.